# Are Your Beads Too Wet?



## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

I've seen this issue come up and up. People will sometimes over charge their humidification beads, or live in a humid climate, where their beads can't drink up all that water in the air. I've also seen where beads have managed to pick up enough moisture in transit, where they come to you saturated to the maximum.

Anyway, here's a tried and true method for dehydrating them back to optimal performance. I started doing this after doing copious reading about how bead manufacturers recommend museums rejuvenate their media.

First, remove all beads into an oven safe container. I just use a simple ceramic bowl:










Preheat your oven to 250*F:










Set your oven's timer to 1hr:










Place bowls of beads in the oven and go smoke a petit corona 










Leave in the oven until back to room temperature. This could take half an hour, depending on your bowl and your oven. Notice the obvious signs of clear beads on top. This means you haven't removed all the water, but that most of the remaining has made it's way to the top layer of beads. This also means that you'll still have about 5-10% charged beads. If it's completely dry you want, go another half an hour, or so:










Anyway, once reinstalled to your humidor, your beads will now be able to handle any excess moisture and also better regulate any excessive ambient humidity in your room.

Hope this helps.


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## 36Bones (Aug 18, 2011)

RG for you, Don. Great tip. I saved this one.


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## Ken Hastings (Jun 28, 2012)

Not an issue with heartfelt beads. Hydrated they are clear, semi hydrated they are gray, dry they are white. If you have all three colors present you're good to go. One of the benefits of heartfelt beads, the visual indicator.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

These _are _Heartfelt Beads, Ken and this thread is intended mostly for those of us who use them. Even with the "visual indicators" they can still be very sneaky. If you look at my beads in the pic, you'd never suspect them to be over-hydrated, yet my readings were high (if you ask me if my hygrometers are calibrated, I will fly down there and smack you). Another tell-tale is the fact that the top layer, after the dehydration process, is almost completely clear.

Anyway, I intentionally didn't say Heartfelt Beads, because this method also works for cat litter and other silica gel beads.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Haven't tried the oven method nor had too but thanks Don.
Good to know that it works without ruining the beads.
I've dried my beads on my night table or in the refrigerator for a couple of days when I've gotten a wet shipment before (can anyone say Johnny O....)

All I can say is Yea for central AC.


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## GIBrett (Jul 29, 2012)

I've overhydrated them by accident and used hairdryer on the cool setting for a few minutes to dry them out. Seemed to work pretty well.


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## wihong (Mar 14, 2008)

I use Heartfelt Beads as well, thanks for the great tip!


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

piperdown said:


> Haven't tried the oven method nor had too but thanks Don.
> Good to know that it works without ruining the beads.
> I've dried my beads on my night table or in the refrigerator for a couple of days when I've gotten a wet shipment before (can anyone say Johnny O....)
> 
> All I can say is Yea for central AC.


I'm envious! I'm stuck with window units in my c1932 built house.



GIBrett said:


> I've overhydrated them by accident and used hairdryer on the cool setting for a few minutes to dry them out. Seemed to work pretty well.


Hair dryer definitely works and you can use the hottest setting with no ill effect. I find I get more thorough drying using the oven as the hair dryer only hits the top layer, unless you stir.


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## Jordan23 (May 25, 2012)

This is what I do with my KL, and it works like a charm. Good stuff, Don.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Just make sure the cat doesn't go in the oven looking for a place to pee. Eu de charred cat would not be a pleasant note in your smoking experience.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Herf N Turf said:


> I've seen this issue come up and up. People will sometimes over charge their humidification beads, or live in a humid climate, where their beads can't drink up all that water in the air. I've also seen where beads have managed to pick up enough moisture in transit, where they come to you saturated to the maximum.
> 
> Anyway, here's a tried and true method for dehydrating them back to optimal performance. I started doing this after doing copious reading about how bead manufacturers recommend museums rejuvenate their media.
> 
> ...


This is a great post Don a great thread! And i agree i bake my silica Ultra Pearls the same way works like a charm. But i often wondered why so many would spend so much for beads! And have to endure the same non sense as using Silica litter. After all beads are idiot proof or so its said. That's why the $40 a pound price tag. Now excuse me for sounding ignorant as i have not used beads in years.Now mind you i am not knocking your use of hydrating media. I just can't help but wonder why? But like cigars Smoke what you like! In this case Use what you like after all its your money not mine!
Great info thanks Don!
Peace my brother!


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Tony
Like you know, I use both....
But to answer your question for the noob's, Since twice the KL is required to achieve the same
results as beads, I find beads work well is smaller desktop humidors......

Don, thanks for posting ......

I have also stumbled on a way of drying out the bead/KL without removing them from the cooler.
I added 1/2 cup of Damprid (Calcium Chloride) and in 2 days all the beads and KL were dry...


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

No doubt BullMan if space is at a premuim then go with beads. But on a side not many as Don has said double the beads to aid in quicker recovery.
At that point i have to wonder once again. But this is not the place to promote my brand of hydrating media. I have the Kitty Litter set up thread for that. That Puff has so graciously allowed me to start. So please except my apologies if i have stepped on any toes. As it was not my intent, as you i just wanted Noobs to know the whole story!


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## smokin3000gt (Apr 25, 2012)

any danger of dehydrating the beads too much and damaging them? Also have you guys heard about putting the beads in the fridge?


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## Jordan23 (May 25, 2012)

Herf N Turf said:


> Just make sure the cat doesn't go in the oven looking for a place to pee. Eu de charred cat would not be a pleasant note in your smoking experience.


:biggrin: Touche', sir, touche'.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

smokin3000gt said:


> any danger of dehydrating the beads too much and damaging them? Also have you guys heard about putting the beads in the fridge?


Fridge yes, done it many times when I forgot I had some beads passively charging (about 97% clear after a forgotten week...lol).
Popped them in the fridge for an hour and they were good to go, about 70% clear.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

smokin3000gt said:


> any danger of dehydrating the beads too much and damaging them? Also have you guys heard about putting the beads in the fridge?


The short answer is no....
I always have some in the frig in case I have to swap some out


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> But this is not the place to promote my brand of hydrating media. I have the Kitty Litter set up thread for that. That Puff has so graciously allowed me to start. So please except my apologies if i have stepped on any toes. As it was not my intent, as you i just wanted Noobs to know the whole story!


Phooey! You're known as three things: A jealous proponent that Cuba is the only place, which grows suitable tobacco for cigars. A shameless self-promoter of cat litter for maintaining these cigars, regardless of who's toes you step on. And, finally, a great guy. (This last one is usually the only reason you don't get infracted for injecting this CL diatribe into every media thread you post in.) I'll call you later and bawl you out...



smokin3000gt said:


> any danger of dehydrating the beads too much and damaging them? Also have you guys heard about putting the beads in the fridge?


Nosir! You could place beads on the moon, with no ill-effects. I actually love getting my beads down to 2-3% moisture content. It's like being a virgin, all over again.


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## Quine (Nov 9, 2011)

Good thread! I've suggested here that people pay some attention to their ambient humidity (these days any smart-phone can have a weather app and tell you what the local ambient Rh is) and use media accordingly. Good to know 250F will not hurt it. My oven can operate as low as 175F. I take my silica and spread it out on a sheet pan so there is only one layer and bring it to 175. If you use a single layer like that 5 mins at 175F plus cool down (leaving the media in the oven as you suggest) is enough to dry it.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Great point, Matthew and you're absolutely correct; we always have to keep watch on ambient humidity, since no matter what type vessel we're talking about, it indeed affects upon what's going on. For this reason, I run a weather station that tells me inside and outside conditions. The trouble with local weather, is that readings are typically harvested from your local airport, which rarely has the same as your room and backyard. Due to the open space, airports generally report dryer humidity than what's actually happening in your neighborhood.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

:dunno:


Herf N Turf said:


> Phooey! You're known as three things: A jealous proponent that Cuba is the only place, which grows suitable tobacco for cigars. A shameless self-promoter of cat litter for maintaining these cigars, regardless of who's toes you step on. And, finally, a great guy. (This last one is usually the only reason you don't get infracted for injecting this CL diatribe into every media thread you post in.) I'll call you later and bawl you out...


You Mean they make cigars worth smoking outside of CUBA

:dunno::dunno::dunno::


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> :dunno:
> 
> You Mean they make cigars worth smoking outside of CUBA
> 
> :dunno::dunno::dunno::


To some, yes. To others, not so much 

Great talkin' to ya yesterday, as always.


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## Flapjack23 (Jan 18, 2012)

Great post. I have 2 bowls and will usually just set them on a table overnight one at a time if I need to. humidity in the house is usually 40% or so. I will keep this in mind if I need a quick dry out.


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## cool hand luke (Jul 28, 2012)

Good thread, I"m sure lots of folks are scratching their heads on how to keep their #"s on 70%......Thanks BOTL


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## BoogerB (Jul 17, 2012)

Thanks herf, this helped me get my humidity down with very little effort. I started with KL misted with water as I had read elsewhere instead of going dry at first. Even dried it outside in the 100+* days a few weeks ago but it never seemed to hold under 70-72. I'm a bit under 65 right now, but I'll give them a bit of time (it has been just a few hours) before I add anything to them. Showing 58 now.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Always happy to help out. This is something I do about every other month from April to November. Right now, for example, outside RH is 54%, but inside is 72%. Even in my sealed wineador, opening and closing can still pull in about 3% per exercise.


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## BoogerB (Jul 17, 2012)

Checked this morning and I was at 55% A little mist on the beads needed, or should I wait a bit longer?


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

BoogerB said:


> Checked this morning and I was at 55% A little mist on the beads needed, or should I wait a bit longer?


I'd probably wait. Never forget that all a hygro can do is measure the air, not the tobacco. For that, you'd need a thousand dollar moisture sensor. Anyway, your cigars are, in all likelihood, nearer to that 70-72% spot you mentioned before. It will take several weeks to get them down to where you want them. I'd be willing to bet that in 24hrs, you'll see higher numbers.


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## BoogerB (Jul 17, 2012)

Thanks, I'll wait a while and see what happens.


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## BoogerB (Jul 17, 2012)

Herf N Turf said:


> I'd probably wait. Never forget that all a hygro can do is measure the air, not the tobacco. For that, you'd need a thousand dollar moisture sensor. Anyway, your cigars are, in all likelihood, nearer to that 70-72% spot you mentioned before. It will take several weeks to get them down to where you want them. I'd be willing to bet that in 24hrs, you'll see higher numbers.


at 64%

You called it, so it will probably be climbing still for a while longer, just rinse and repeat the same process I take it?


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